TEXAS: Man In Critical Condition After Beating Outside El Paso Gay Nightclub

A 22 year-old man is listed in critical condition today after being beaten by a group of men with a baseball bat outside the popular El Paso nightclub, Old Plantation. Media reports are light with details so far, but two JMG readers from Texas have written to say the attack was a gay bashing.

Police said the man was waiting for a ride outside the Old Plantation Night Club, 301 S. Ochoa, when a verbal confrontation began between the victim and six other males. The verbal confrontation became physical and the six suspects allegedly began punching, kicking the victim. The group allegedly also used a bat to hit the victim. One of the victim's friends, a woman, tried to help and had her vehicle damaged as she tried to do so. A suspect struck her 2003 Jeep Liberty windshield with a bat to stop her from helping the victim. The suspects then fled the area in what appeared to be a van.

I'll update this post when we know more.

NYPD Issues Warning: Muggers Are Stalking Gay Men In West Village

The New York Post reports that the NYPD has issued a warning that teams of muggers are targeting gay men leaving bars in the West Village area. Some of the recent attacks:

Between April 11 and 27 at least five men were mugged in five separate incidents in the area around Seventh Avenue South and Christopher Street typically in the early hours of the morning. Many of the victims, who were all alone when attacked, hail from New Jersey. They were coming from bars including Kettle of Fish, Ty’s Bar and Hangar Bar, according to police sources. On April 11, a 27-year-old man from New Jersey was surrounded by five men who restrained him and rifled through his pockets, fleeing with his phone and drivers license, police sources said. On April 15, a 69-year-old man from Trenton was attacked from behind by two men, knocked to the ground and had his wallet stolen. Another attack occurred April 25 at 4 a.m. on the corner Seventh Avenue South and Christopher Street when a 32-year-old man was mugged by three men after he left the Kettle of Fish bar. The next day a 27-year-old male from Jersey City was mugged by a lone assailant who made off with his wallet.

That many of the victims are from New Jersey tells us that the muggers may be focused on those heading for the PATH train.

This Week In Holy Crimes

Over the last seven days...

New York: Pastor Michael Clare charged with first degree rape of 12 year-old girl.
South Carolina: Pastor Ronald Satterfield charged with running a $3.3M Ponzi scheme that wiped out dozens of his congregants.
Texas: Pastor Larry Gene Martin charged with aggravated sexual assault on a 12 year-old girl.
Texas: Pastor Randy Carl Russell charged with making a terrorist threat for saying he was going to kill his daughter's boyfriend and his family.
New Brunswick: Father Albert LeBlanc charged with 40 counts of sexual assault on boys between the ages of seven and eleven.
Florida: Pastor Jason Allen Roberts charged with felony child molestation.
New York: Santeria priest Miguel Leon convicted of child molestation.
Indiana: Father Wayne Wigglesworth sentenced to ten years in prison for attempted molestation of a 15 year-old boy.
Wisconsin: Pastor Travis Gandy pleads no contest to possession of child pornography.
Georgia: Pastor Kenneth Terrell indicted on charges of embezzling $200K from his church. Last year Terrell was also charged with child molestation.
Tennessee: Pastor Samuel Peters charged with theft of donations to the Lions Club, which aids visually-impaired children.
Britain: Father Alexander Bede Walsh charged with four counts of molesting boys.
Nunavut: Father Eric Dejaeger charged with three counts of molesting Inuit children.
Utah: Pastor Aaron Witcher pleads guilty to two counts of raping a minor.
Michigan: Father Herbert Richey is still working for the Detroit Archdiocese despite having been defrocked for child molestation.

This Week's Winner
France: Father Antoine Videau has been convicted of stealing £2 million from church charity boxes intended for the poor. Videau used the cash to buy himself a Ferrari and take lavish Las Vegas vacations with his young mistress. Investigators found 28 separate bank accounts holding stolen parish money and discovered that Videau had also helped himself to £500,000 from the estate of a deceased archbishop.

TEXAS: Austin Cops Indifferent To Gay-Bashing Of Two Men

On Christmas night two gay men were attacked outside an Austin, Texas gay bar as dozens of onlookers did nothing. The victims say that responding police seemed indifferent to the attack.

CNN Doesn't Have A Closet?

I shouldn't joke, pretty much everybody I know has had their bike stolen in the last year. Personally, I won't buy a lock or a chain because that way I won't be tempted to leave my bike on the street.

Seventeen Attorneys General Demand That Craigslist Remove Its Hooker Ads

Saying that the site is enabling prostitution and child trafficking, a coalition of 17 state Attorneys General are demanding that Craigslist remove its adult services section.

"Only Craigslist has the power to stop these ads before they are even published," Kansas attorney general Steve Six said in a statement. "Sadly, they are completely unwilling to do so." The joint letter acknowledged Craigslist faces the prospect of losing revenue if it were to remove the adult services section. "No amount of money, however, can justify the scourge of illegal prostitution and the suffering of the women and children who will continue to be victimized, in the market and trafficking provided by Craigslist," the letter said. Craigslist supports states' efforts to stop illegal exploitation, spokeswoman Susan MacTavish Best said in a statement that did not indicate whether the website plans to get rid of its adult services section. "We hope to work closely with them, as we are with experts at nonprofits and in law enforcement, to prevent misuse of our site in facilitation of trafficking," she said. Some encounters set up through Craigslist have ended in violence and even death, authorities have said.

The adult services section of Craigslist is one of the few areas of the site which charges for postings.

Giuliani's Daughter Busted Shoplifting

Rudy Giuliani's 20 year-old daughter Caroline was busted on NYC's Upper East Side yesterday when she tried to shoplift cosmetics from a Sephora.

She was allegedly caught by a store security camera shoplifting five cosmetics items worth more than $100 -- including Aqua Cream, Dior Skinflash Primer, Bliss hydroderm cream, a rollerball funnel and a hairnet -- and escorted out of the store in handcuffs, according to police sources. Giuliani is currently being held by police. Charges have yet to be filed, but police sources told ABC News that she is expected to be charged with petit larceny and released. She will be required to appear before a judge at a later date, sources said.

Caroline lives in an UES townhouse with her mother Donna Hanover, who divorced "sanctity of marriage" Rudy in 2002 shortly after she caught him fucking the shit out of his secretary in the basement of City Hall.

Pink Cars Get Stolen The Least

According to a study of stolen cars, painting your ride pink is more effective than just about any theft-deterrent system.

"A study in the Netherlands illustrates car thieves' preferences. From 2004-2008, the most commonly colored vehicle stolen was black. This may be because black vehicles look more luxurious. Following close behind black were gray/silver automobiles. Of the 109 pink cars in the study, not one was stolen. A bright and uncommon color, like pink, may be as effective deterrent as an expensive security system. Ben Vollaard, who conducted the research, wrote, 'If the aversion to driving a car in an offbeat color is not too high – or if someone actually enjoys it – then buying deterrence through an uncommon car color may be at least as good a deal as buying deterrence through an expensive car security device.'"

"Honey, I just wonder what you doin' in the back of your pink Cadillac."

SAN FRANCISCO: Two Shot During Pink Saturday Shooting Vigil

Two people were shot last night at a memorial vigil for the young man shot to death at San Francisco's Pink Saturday street party in the Castro.

The shooting was reported at about 8 p.m. near the intersection of Third Street and Quesada Avenue during a neighborhood vigil being held for 19-year-old Stephen Powell, who was shot and killed Saturday during Gay Pride in the city's Castro District, Officer Samson Chan said. One victim, a 21-year-old man, was shot through the cheek, Chan said, and the other victim, a 20-year-old man, was shot in the leg. Both victims were taken to the hospital. Their injuries were not expected to be life threatening. Witnesses were not forthcoming with information, Chan said, and police did not release any details regarding possible suspects early this morning.

The young man accused of Saturday's shooting remains in custody on a murder charge.

AZ Gov. Jan Brewer Admits Crime Is Down, But Blames Immigrants Anyway

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer acknowledges that violent crime is actually down in her state, but goes right on to blame immigrants anyway. Loony tunes.

California Man Busted For Preying On Gay Men Via Craigslist

California prosecutors have arrested a man they dubbed "the gay bandit" after he allegedly robbed numerous gay men he met through the M4M section on Craigslist.

A convicted felon accused of targeting gay men who were looking for dates online was charged with kidnapping, robbery, carjacking and other crimes in Superior Court Monday. Angel Pena Ayala, 24, who was on parole for a previous carjacking conviction, was arrested Friday and pleaded not guilty Monday in Torrance Superior Court, said Los Angeles County district attorney's officials. He was charged with eight felony counts, including the allegation that the crimes were committed for a street gang.

Hermosa Beach police said Ayala placed an online ad on Craigslist.org in the personals section and met his victim at the man's home in Hermosa Beach in March. Authorities accused him of pulling a handgun on the man and ordering him to put his TV, computer and camera into his car. Ayala is accused of ordering the victim to drive to a nearby ATM and forced him to withdraw money. Ayala released the victim in El Segundo and drove off in the man's car, which was found abandoned in Los Angeles, said Sgt. Robert Higgins. Investigators identified Ayala through fingerprints from the recovered vehicle. He is also charged with committing a similar crime in West Hollywood four days earlier. Alaya told investigators he committed as many as three crimes a night, said Hermosa Beach police and prosecutors.

Police suspect that many victims have not come forward due to the sexual angle of the crimes.